Trayvon Martin: A Timeline and What's Next

On this anniversary of his death, we wanted to take the time to go through what’s happened so far and what still needs to happen. Legal processes are relatively slow in most cases and this is no exception.

It’s not that nothing is happening legally. A lot has happened already in terms of procedure. But there’s still a lot to come.

What’s Happened so Far

It was April of last year when Zimmerman was arrested, following a lot of speculation as to why police hadn’t acted. Two weeks passed, and he was released on bail.

Then, in July, the trial judge was asked to step down and a new judge took over the case, which has yet to go to trial.

For Now Discovery Continues

A big part of a criminal case is the process of discovery where both sides gather evidence and information that is relevant to the case.

That may mean having depositions to hear potential witness testimony, getting records relevant to the case, and reviewing prior statements by both sides. Since Zimmerman’s trial is set for June, both sides still have time to get more information.

The Stand Your Ground Hearing

Florida law allows defendants to defend the use of the force under the now-famous Stand Your Ground law. Using that defense, a defendant isn’t required to retreat before using defensive force against an imminent threat.

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About FindLaw Blotter

FindLaw Blotter is a crime blog dedicated to covering crime news and notorious, newsworthy and weird happenings in the criminal justice system, with an emphasis on answering the legal questions that lurk in the background of each story. Have a comment or tip? Write to us.